TV a must for 1 in 4 during Christmas meal

One in four people will eat their Christmas dinner with the television on in the corner of the room, according to a poll by Radio Times.

The listings magazine found that despite the nation's love of the box during the festive season, the Queen's Christmas message has fallen in popularity. About 60 per cent of people said they weren't planning to tune in this year.

Almost half of those polled said they didn't believe that programmes today were as good as at Christmas when they were a child. Fewer than one-fifth thought there had been an increase in quality.

But despite a perceived dip in the quality of shows, television still appears to play a central role in Brits' enjoyment of Christmas. More than one-third of people asked said they would turn on their set before 10am, while just under two-thirds will spend three hours or more in front of the television on Christmas Day itself.